Paul beck



(No Model.) P. BECK.

APPARATUS FOR TAPPING BEER BY MEANS OF GARBONIO ACID.

No. 445,257. Patented Jan. 27,1891.

ll'nTTEn STATES PATENT @EErcE,

PAUL BECK, OF A'UGSBURG, GERMAN Y.

APPARATUS FOR TAPPlNG BEER BY MEANS OF CARBONIC ACID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,257, dated January 27', 1891.

Application filed October 11, 1890. Serial No. 367,762. (No model.)

To all 1071/0711, may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL BECK, a subject of the Kin g of Bavaria, residing at Augsburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Appa ratus for Tapping Beer by Means of Carbonic Acid, of which the following is a clear specilication.

The methods known heretofore for tapping beer by the pressure of carbonic acid require, all of them, apparatus of peculiar constructions not adapted to be left to the management of persons not perfectly acquainted with the peculiarity of the mechanism. Moreover, that apparatus is hardly capable of being transported, thus applicable only in public beer-houses.

My invention relates to an apparatus adapted to be attached directly to the cask or to any other vessel, and equally well adapted to be transported, together with the respective cask, with the greatest convenience. I completely dispense with special stationary devices, always remaining with the beer-houses. Thus itis made possible to keep a cask of beer even in housekeeping for long time without being obliged to undertake any manipulation, and at the same time rendering the beer perfectly good, drinkable, and of intrinsic value from the first to the last glass. I attain this by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters and numerals denote similar parts throughout the different figures, and in which- Figure l is a vertical section of the apparatus, showing it attached to a cask and taken on the line on y of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an upper view of the apparatus, the hood a removed. Fig. 3 is a detail view taken on the line w of Fig. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a cask in combination with said apparatus, showing it ready for use,

F is a cask, to one bottom of which is attached a vessel a, reaching into the interior of the cask and intended to receive a reservoir 7), which contains the carbonic acid. The vessel a is continually connected with the cask, and a small space is left between vessel a and reservoir 1), the latter at its inner end provided with a valve 0, closed by a box d. A reduction-valve r is secured to the outer end of said reservoir and connected with it by a bent channel 3, leading to and being closed by a cutoit valve 1, the upper part of which lies close to a small diaphragm 2, the latter leaning against the pivot of a plate 3. Another diaphragm 4- is supported by said plate 3, both the diaphragms separating the inner space 5 of the reduction-valve from the space 6, incloscd by the diaphragms themselves. Space 6 is connected with the atmosphere by a channel, (not to be seen in the drawings) and space 5 is connected by means of a bent channel g with that space which surrounds the cut-off valve 1. A cock fis attached to one side of the reductionvalve and connected at its one side with channel g and at the other with a return-valve i by a tube or hose 7r, the return-valve i being connected with the interior of the cask by means of a tube 1", thus establishing a con1- munication between the reduction-valve and the cask. is provided with a number of holes 7;, which are covered by a rubber plate 6, in the midst of which is an aperture 0.

The apparatus is managed and works as follows: Before filling the cask the reservoir 1), with the reduction-valve, is removed, leaving only the return-valvein the bottom, which is closed thus by the vessel a and the rubber plate 6 within the return-valve. The cask then is filled with beer and closed in usual manner. During that time the box (I is removed from the reservoir 1), which is connected now with the cut-oit valve of a carbonicacid bottle by means of a tube in which is inserted any measuring device. When opening the cut-off valve of the ca rbonic-acid bottle, the carbonic acid lifts the valve of the reservoir, entering the latter, the extension of which is calculated so as not to be filled out completely by that quantity of carbonic acid as necessary to empty the respective cask. After having filled the reservoir and closed it by box d the reservoir is screwed into vessel on and cook f (still closed) is connected with the return-valve t' by tube or hose h. The hood 02, having an aperture for allowing a handle to be attached to the cock, is screwed on now, and the whole apparatus is fit to be delivered to the consumer. \Vhen deliverin g the cask to the consumer, the bearer opens The head 7; of the return-valve i the cock, and by putting the faucet into the cask the latter is rendered fit for use. 'VVhen tapping beer from the cask the equilibrium of the tensions before and behind the returnvalve is altered, as the tension of the carbonic acid becomes the greater one, and a certain part of gaseous carbonic acid enters the cask by lifting the rubber plate 9, thus conveying the disturbance of the equilibrium on the tensions before and behind the reduction-valve. There is a differential pressure exerted upon the diaphragms of the reduction-valves, that pressure exerted on one side by the pressure of the gaseous carbonic acid contained in space 5 and on the other by the pressure of the atmosphere actingin space (3. In case that differential pressure be equal to the pressure within the reservoir a, there is perfect equilibrium. As a part of carbonic acid enters the cask, the pressure within the reduction-valve is diminished, and consequently a diminution of the differential pressure is effected, too, the Valve 2' will be lifted, and as much carbonic acid will enter the cask as necessary to the restoration of the disturbed equilibrium, which is restored when both the reductionvalve and the return-valve are closing. The space formed by vessel Cl, and the reservoir communicates with the air by a tube a, the purpose of which is to let the carbonic acid escape in the air in case the reservoir has been damaged, thus preventing dangerous explosions. The safety valve o secured to the reduction-valve is for the same purpose in case the reduction-valve be not perfectly tight.

Beer contained in casks provided with the above-explained apparatus is constantly kept under pressure of carbonic acid, by which air is not permitted to reach the beer, and by which that carbonic acid contained in the beer itself and causing its agreeable taste and flavor is preserved.

The apparatus may as well be used for single casks in housekeeping as for stationary public beer-houses, as the latter by employing this new arrangement are enabled to entirely dispense with the long tubes indispensably requisite with apparatus of old construction, said tubes being extremely liable to dirtying and obstruction.

Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this invention, I declare that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is In apparatus for tapping beer by carbonic acid, a vessel a, continually connected with a cask and containing a reservoir b for carbonic acid, said reservoir 1) provided at its inner extremity with a valve 0 and at its outer extremity with a reduction-valve r, a space being left between the vessel to and the reservoir b, said space communicating with the atmosphere by a channel a, in combination with a safety-valve 12, secured to and communicating with the one side of the reduction-valve, and, with a cock f, secured to and communicating with another side of the reduction-valve, said cock being connected w ith a retu rn-Valve t', the latter containing concen trically-arranged holes 70', closed by a rubber plate 6 with an aperture 6' in its center, said return-valve communicating with theinterior of the respective casks, for the purpose as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL BECK.

WVitnesses:

C. F. RosENcRANTz, J OHANNES HISOHE. 

